2016 D.C. Divas Hall of Fame Fan Finalists
Here are the 20 fan finalists for the D.C. Divas Hall of Fame Class of 2016, in alphabetical order:
Patrice Bowman
Offensive line, 2002-2006
Assistant offensive line coach, 2008, 2011-2012
Versatile athlete who played nearly every position on the offensive line, as well as linebacker and fullback, in her career…nicknamed “Papouse”…second team All-American in 2004…the veteran starting center – and one of the oldest members – of the Divas’ 2006 national championship team…hired in 2008 as the first female position coach in Divas history…served as the Divas’ assistant offensive line coach under three different coaching staffs (for Coach Ezra Cooper in 2008, Coach Tim Smart in 2011, and Coach Alison Fischer in 2012).
Nancy Buermeyer
Offensive line, 2001-2006
Smart, imposing lineman who was the starting center for the original Divas team in 2001…a consummate teammate who helped her fellow offensive linemen develop into a dominating unit in the early years…first team All-American in 2004…the team’s starting center for five seasons until she suffered a knee injury in 2005…finished her career playing guard and center on the Divas’ 2006 national championship team.
Tyran Dukes
Linebacker, 2004-2007
Tough linebacker who made opponents fear running the football in her direction…started with the Baltimore Burn for three seasons before joining the Divas in 2004…a first team All-American with the Burn in 2003…played at an elite level for the Divas for four seasons, ranking among the team leaders in tackles all four years…developed a knack for forcing fumbles with her savage hits…a key member of the 2006 Divas defense, which set a women’s football record by recording eight straight shutout victories on the way to the national title…one of only four Divas to compile a perfect 32-0 regular season record during her four years in uniform.
Alison Fischer
Defensive back, 2001-2009, 2011
Head coach, 2012-present
Started tackle football as a 35-year-old rookie, yet managed to put together a ten-year career in the Divas’ defensive backfield…one of eight players to play a full decade for the Divas…named a team captain in 2002, 2007, and 2011…caught a critical interception in the 2006 national championship game victory over the Oklahoma City Lightning on August 5, 2006…a second team All-American in 2009…hired as the head coach of the D.C. Divas in 2012, becoming one of the few female head coaches in women’s football…in her fourth season as head coach, won WFA Coach of the Year honors while guiding the team to the 2015 national championship.
Labelle Hillgrove
Defensive line, 2006-2009
A leader on the Divas’ defensive line for four seasons…one of the most athletic linemen in team history…her infectious chant of “D-LINE!” can still be heard by Divas players on the field today…team captain in 2008 and 2009…played with high intensity and was an integral part of several of the Divas’ defensive shutouts…a member of the 2006 national championship team and the 2009 conference championship team.
Claudia Hogan
Fullback, 2002-2009
One of the toughest, most hard-nosed players in Divas history…played eight grueling seasons at the fullback position…took joy in fiercely protecting the Divas quarterbacks…led the way for a host of Divas running backs, many of whom rushed for 1,000-yard seasons behind her blocking…second team All-American in 2003 and first team All-American in 2004…a starter for the 2006 national championship team and the 2009 conference championship team…suffered a knee injury in the first half of the 2009 national championship game that ended a stellar career.
Tara Kallal
Wide receiver, 2001-2009, 2011
Wide receivers coach, 2012-present
Prolific wide receiver who was a scoring threat through the air and on the ground…played ten seasons for the Divas, one of eight players to spend at least a decade in a Divas uniform…first team All-American in 2003 and 2007…second team All-American in 2004…only player to lead the team in receiving touchdowns four different seasons (2001, 2004, 2006, and 2007)… ranks fourth in team history with 44 career touchdowns…transitioned from playing to teaching wide receivers in 2012…has served as the Divas’ wide receivers coach for the past four seasons.
Monica Livingston
Running back, 2002-2007
Elusive running back who stood out in a crowded backfield…set a Divas team record with an 80-yard touchdown run in her first career game against the Rochester Raptors on April 6, 2002, a team record that still stands…ranks sixth in team history in career rushing yards and rushing touchdowns…second team All-American in 2004…had her talented career cut short when she suffered a devastating leg injury against the Cincinnati Sizzle on June 11, 2005…after two years of rehabilitation, authored an inspirational finish to her career by returning to rush for one final career touchdown against the Cape Fear Thunder on June 30, 2007.
Andrea “Drea” Major
Linebacker, 2005-2009
A true student of the game at the linebacker position, specializing in strong form tackles…recovered three turnovers – two interceptions and a fumble – against the Baltimore Burn on May 27, 2006, setting a franchise record that still stands…returned one of those interceptions for a touchdown…a starter at linebacker for the Divas’ 2006 national championship team…led the 2006 team in sacks and ranked second on the team in tackles…second team All-American in 2007…ended her career as a starter at linebacker in her second national championship game in 2009.
Allysea “Ghost” Marfull
Offensive line, 2005-2013
One of the most powerful and passionate offensive linemen in Divas history…joined the team in 2005 and was a starter on the Divas’ national championship team the following year…suffered a season-ending broken arm injury in 2007 but still earned first team All-American honors that year…inherited jersey #72 in 2008 at the request of Coach Ezra Cooper, who wore the number when he played and considered it good luck…team captain in 2008 and 2009…started in her second national title game in 2009…ended her career with three straight first team All-American selections in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
Jamie Nicholas
Defensive line, 2001-2004
Earned the nickname “Big Girl” as a starting lineman on the original Divas team in 2001…played defensive tackle and was an immovable force in the middle of the field…a key member of the Divas’ defensive line for four years, helping the Divas win their first two division championships in 2003 and 2004…retired from playing in 2004 and has served as an invaluable advocate of the Divas franchise ever since…for over a decade, has supported the Divas through her printing business and has enthusiastically volunteered her time in numerous other ways to help the Divas organization thrive and grow.
Stacy Palmer
Kicker/punter/tight end, 2001-2006
Extremely accurate kicker in an era of women’s football when kickers were not widespread…won several games for the Divas with her kicking ability…booted the game-winning extra point with under two minutes to play to defeat the Baltimore Burn, 7-6, on May 4, 2002…also an outstanding punter and handled kickoffs for six seasons…retired in 2006 with the team record in career PAT kicks made…played sparingly as a tight end on offense, where she was known as a tough blocker and caught two career touchdown passes.
Rachelle Pecovsky
Running back, 2006-2009, 2011
Perhaps the final key acquisition that fueled the Divas’ national championship run in 2006…won an NWFA national championship with the Philadelphia Liberty Belles in 2001…joined the Divas in 2006 and promptly set a franchise record with 1,432 rushing yards that season, a record that still stands…named the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 NWFA national championship game after rushing for 186 yards and three touchdowns in the Divas’ 28-7 victory over the Oklahoma City Lightning on August 5, 2006…earned a mention in Sports Illustrated magazine for her performance…won the 2006 Posey Award as the women’s football player of the year in the national capital region…team captain and first team All-American in 2007…ranks fourth in team history with 34 career rushing touchdowns.
Natalie Randolph
Wide receiver, 2004-2008
Receiver who was equally as effective as a rusher…rushed for a touchdown in her first career game against the Roanoke Revenge on April 3, 2004…set a Divas single-season record in 2005 with 12.5 yards per rushing attempt that year…third-leading receiver on the Divas’ 2006 national championship team…retired from the Divas after five seasons…made national headlines in 2010 when she was hired as the head football coach at Coolidge High School in DC, becoming one of the first women to coach a high school football team…displayed poise and class in the media spotlight, which brought positive attention to both the Divas organization and the sport of women’s football…coached four seasons at Coolidge, leading them to two playoff appearances and a berth in the 2011 Turkey Bowl before stepping down in 2013.
Michelle Riddle
Offensive line, 2002-2010
A schoolteacher by day who dished out lessons to Divas opponents on the field…a mainstay on the Divas’ offensive line for nearly a decade…her physical blocking at the guard position paved the way for many great Divas running backs…first team All-American in 2003, 2004, and 2007…a starter for the 2006 national championship team and the 2009 conference championship team…ended her career by playing for Team USA in the 2010 Women’s World Championships…one of five Divas – and the only retired, Hall-of-Fame eligible one – to earn a gold medal in international football competition.
Subrena Rivers
Linebacker/defensive line, 2004-2007
Unrelenting pass rusher who is among the Divas’ all-time leaders in sacks…came to the Divas in 2004 after three seasons with the Baltimore Burn…a first team All-American with the Burn in 2003…began her Divas career as a linebacker before moving to the defensive line…responded with a stellar campaign in her first season on the line in 2005, leading the team in sacks that year…a key starter for the 2006 defense that pitched eight straight shutouts en route to the national championship…one of only four Divas to compile a perfect 32-0 regular season record during her four years in uniform.
Ivy Tillman
Linebacker/defensive back, 2001-2009
Ferocious on the field and charismatic off it, served as the face of the Divas defense for nine seasons…her bone-jarring hits terrified opposing ballcarriers…nicknamed “Poison” Ivy…so respected by her teammates that she was elected team captain all nine seasons in uniform…started at safety for her first four seasons before moving to the linebacker position in 2005…won 2006 Posey Award as the top women’s football player in the national capital region…named the defensive MVP of the Divas’ 2006 national championship victory over the Oklahoma City Lightning on August 5, 2006…first team All-American in 2003, 2004, 2007, and 2008…finished a remarkable Divas career as a starter in the 2009 national championship game.
Deb Troell
Quarterback, 2001-2004
Started at quarterback in the Divas’ inaugural season in 2001…threw the first touchdown pass in team history, a nine-yard score to Brooke Hargrove, to help the Divas win their first ever home game, 10-6, over the Connecticut Crush on May 12, 2001…victory over Connecticut was the first win in Divas history…started most of the 2002 season, leading the Divas to a 6-3 record, the first winning record in team history…team captain in 2001 and 2002…played two more seasons as a backup and mentor to current Divas starting quarterback Allyson Hamlin…retired with a winning record in 15 career games as the Divas’ starting quarterback.
T.K. Washington
Defensive line, 2003-2008, 2011-2012
Fearsome defender who ranks among the all-time team leaders in tackles and sacks…her relentless energy on the defensive line allowed her to break up numerous plays in the opponents’ backfield…first team All-American for three straight seasons in 2003, 2004, and 2005…a key member of the 2006 Divas defense, which pitched eight straight shutout victories on the way to the national title…after a two-year absence, returned in 2011 and played two more seasons…team captain in 2011…continued to make critical defensive plays in her final season in 2012, helping lead the Divas to the division title for the seventh time in her career.
Sharina Western
Defensive line/linebacker, 2003-2009
Steady force in the Divas’ defensive front seven for seven seasons…earned her first career start against the Pittsburgh Passion on May 31, 2003, when Tessa Nelson suffered a season-ending knee injury…responded with two solo and eight assisted tackles on her way to the game’s defensive MVP honors…after four years at linebacker, moved to the defensive line in 2007…often delivered her best performances in the biggest games…forced one fumble, recovered another, and recorded the Divas’ only quarterback sack in a memorable 24-22 victory over the Detroit Demolition on June 2, 2007…in her final career game, registered a sack and recovered a fumble against the Kansas City Tribe in the 2009 national championship game.
